The European materials handling industry is an exporting industry with a largely positive trade balance, not only globally but also with our main bilateral partners (Japan, the U.S. and even China).
In this context, free and fair access to foreign markets represents a strategic challenge. We fully support the conclusion of Free Trade Agreements with our most strategic trade partners. Trade dialogues should also serve to address tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade and more generally protectionism wherever possible.
Technical differences are often an obstacle to trade. Within FEM, we have been developing technical standards not only at European but also at international level since the 1950s. Regulatory disparities are also an obstacle to trade and sometimes a burden on our competitiveness because of different national/regional product requirements. On a global market, basic regulatory obligations should be harmonised wherever possible and we certainly support collaborative efforts within regulatory dialogues between the EU and its main trade partners.
Overall our objective is to achieve global harmonisation of standards at industry and regulatory levels. This is one of the guiding principles that led to the creation of a World Materials Handling Alliance together with our American, Chinese and Japanese colleagues.
Key messages
>>> Free and fair access to foreign markets
>>> Global harmonisation of standards at industry and regulatory levels
